Queen Anne's Music Department Hold First Ever Composition Competition

Tuesday 10th December 2013

On Friday 6 December, Queen Anne’s Music Department was delighted to welcome two of Britain’s foremost composers to adjudicate the first Composition Competition.

Philip Sheppard works at the Royal Academy of Music and is a freelance composer of film music. He was recently commissioned to arrange the national anthems of every country in the world, for performance at the medal ceremonies during the London Olympics. Paul Harris, also from the Royal Academy, is well-known as a composer for woodwind and for being one of the UK’s leading educationalists. He has also written a number of biographies of British Twentieth Century composers.

Philip spent time working with our Lower Five GCSE students on strategies for composing and talked about how music is one of the few activities that engages both sides of the brain at the same time and increases brain plasticity. He also introduced the girls to the music business and the life of a composer.

The final adjudication complimented all of the girls on their excellent and very diverse work. Harriette Wimble’s film score ‘Still Life’ was awarded first place, Gabby Woodward’s organ piece ‘Seven Ages’ and Lydia Marshall’s ‘Woodwind Septet’ joint second and Amy Carter’s ‘Movimento Continuo’ for guitars in third position.

Congratulations to all involved in producing such an amazing range of creative and imaginative compositions.